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A half pound of butter. Flickr

Guess how many of these were sold around the world last year?

It’s a lot of milking.

350 MILLION PACKETS of Kerrygold butter were sold around the world last year, contributing to over €2 billion in turnover for the Irish Dairy Board.

The Irish food giant is the number one butter in Germany and the number one imported butter in the United States according to IDB’s full year report.

In total, the Irish dairy co-operative reported sales of €2.1 billion last year and a pre-tax profit of 22.8 million. Both figures represent an increase on the previous year, 5 per cent and 87 per cent respectively.

The IDB says that the created new sales and marketing teams in Russia, China, Saudi Arabia and South Africa last year and are targeting increases in those emerging markets as well as in the EU as restrictions ease over the coming years.

“The abolition of milk quotas in 2015 will present the Irish dairy industry with its first opportunity for meaningful expansion in the past 30 years,” says CEO Kevin Lane. “Our strategy is to ensure that IDB members and dairy farmers are optimally positioned to participate in this expansion opportunity through enhanced routes to market and sustainable, market led products.”

Jobs

The IDB have also announced that they are to open a new €30 million facility in Mitchelstown, Co. Cork, leading to the creation of 50 new jobs. The new factory is to be built in conjunction with Kerrygold and will also be used as an innovation centre for the multinational.

The co-op has also pointed towards a number of other changes from last year they feel have strengthened their global position. These include a partnership with First Milk in the UK and the acquisition of a Saudi Arabian company as part of plans to build a cheese manufacturing facility there.

Read: Coveney to dairy farmers: You’re (still) producing too much milk >

Read: Value of Irish food and drink exports nearly €10 billion in 2013 >

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45 Comments
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    Mute Imogene Blignaut-O'Brien
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    Apr 16th 2014, 12:23 PM

    I live in England and this is the only Irish butter I can find here. No complaints though! It is better than anything they have here!

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    Mute Paddy
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    Apr 16th 2014, 12:33 PM

    Yeah I live in Manchester and even my local corner shop sells it…lovely butter in fairness.

    153
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    Mute Ian Scott
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    Apr 16th 2014, 1:03 PM

    work there lad.. Where’s good Irish pubs for craic

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    Mute Rupert McPupkin
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    Apr 16th 2014, 6:55 PM

    That’s great. But why in the jaysus do they keep selling the stuff with that awful gold foil wrapper?

    2
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    Mute Paddy
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    Apr 16th 2014, 8:12 PM

    I don’t know Ian, there’s one in Chorlton that’s meant to be good. There’s O’ Sheas and Waxys in city centre. I find the English pubs grand apart from the bar staff, they’re like robots, only serve 1 person at a time and it’s like they’re shown an exact process to follow. It drives me insane!

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    Mute Ian Scott
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    Apr 17th 2014, 8:02 AM

    I have heard Chorlton is good..
    Have to make it my next stop..
    Need my Irish fix soon

    1
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    Mute Keith Barlow
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    Apr 16th 2014, 12:09 PM

    The “Marine” of butters! Harder than a coffin nail if put in the fridge…I bet there’s millions of pieces of bread around the world never made it off the counter tops.

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    Mute Jean Martin
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    Apr 16th 2014, 1:29 PM

    brilliant Keith…..

    25
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    Mute offtheball
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    Apr 16th 2014, 12:07 PM

    Well done Kerrygold! Contrary to what a lot of the moaners and whingers on this site would have you believe there are lots of success stories in this great little country.

    185
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    Mute Clare Lawless Beech
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    Apr 16th 2014, 12:44 PM

    Yes! There are many great things that only Ireland does best.
    I contributed to this statistic by buying my Kerry Gold in Ohio. There’s a decent amount of Irish produce available here but it’s expensive and in a specialty section. Except for Kerry Gold which is just sold along with the normal butter.

    83
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    Mute Arthur O'Neill
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    Apr 16th 2014, 11:59 AM

    That’s some cash cow, 350,000,000 gold bars.

    101
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    Mute Andy Byrne
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    Apr 16th 2014, 12:01 PM

    Delicious gold bars!!

    91
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    Mute Pierce2020
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    Apr 16th 2014, 12:14 PM

    Who’s taking the horses to France?

    94
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    Mute Sean Hyland
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    Apr 16th 2014, 12:17 PM

    The reason for this is “Grass fed butter”. In the US and around the world grass fed butter is a luxury, something we take for granted. Also, Grass fed butter is actually very good for you with vitamin K etc etc.
    The latest fad is blending a knob of “grass fed butter” with your organic coffee in the mornings.

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    Mute Michele Savage
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    Apr 16th 2014, 12:22 PM

    Yuck!

    53
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    Mute Dee4
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    Apr 16th 2014, 12:23 PM

    Ive seen that as well on US sites, the health sites tend to recommend grass fed meat and butter over corn fed. And its a no brainer by now that real butter is better for you than the fake stuff.

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    Mute Des Smyth
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    Apr 16th 2014, 12:26 PM

    Bulletproof coffee, apparently you can lose weight from drinking it

    27
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    Mute Christine Downey
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    Apr 16th 2014, 1:27 PM

    Butter in coffee??? YUCK!!!!

    22
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    Mute Jean Martin
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    Apr 16th 2014, 1:30 PM

    is it really? i would love to use only Dairy Gold but i have been frightened off it…….

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    Mute Paul Darby
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    Apr 16th 2014, 2:06 PM

    Was’nt there a case where they were finding razor blades iin the kerrygold butter that was sold in north america?

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    Mute Lech Halabis
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    Apr 16th 2014, 12:37 PM

    You can get this butter even in smaller supermarkets in Poland now

    55
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    Mute Jason Downes
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    Apr 16th 2014, 1:17 PM

    Costs $5 or so here in the part of NJ I’m in. Best $5 I ever spend.

    49
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    Mute Svart
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    Apr 16th 2014, 1:09 PM

    I found it in a supermarket in Chile last month, was really surprised they export butter all the way here.

    38
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    Mute Patrick J Bird
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    Apr 16th 2014, 3:29 PM

    Los Angeles CA it’s everywhere for about €2. A half pound. Can’t have you’re toast in the morning without it.where’s the marmalade.

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    Mute Bevin Reilly
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    Apr 16th 2014, 4:12 PM

    I love that I can get this in the US. I’d be lost without it :)

    31
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    Mute Daniel Rea
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    Apr 16th 2014, 1:13 PM

    Their sales will only go up from here.
    Saturated fat has been proven to have no correlation with heart disease and it’s already appearing in the media though accepted by medicine for a while now. Refined sugars and rancid, hydrogenated vegetable oils cause inflammation in the arteries. Buy grass fed (and organic if you want to spend the extra) butter it makes a big difference to the amino acid profile and vitamin content.
    Coconut oil is another great source of saturated fat.

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    Mute Daniel Rea
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    Apr 16th 2014, 1:33 PM

    Oh and low fat diets have been correlated with two things- suicide and violent death (not joking about the latter look it up). I’m not saying it’s the only factor involved in the epidemic of mental disorders like depression but when you consider the brain is basically a large chunk of fat it’s not surprising that people who increase their fat intake get therapeutic benefits. It really should say ‘Use Liberally’ on the packet.

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    Mute Melissa O Shea
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    Apr 16th 2014, 10:22 PM

    Agree with you 100%. Fats don’t make people fat, sugar makes people fat. I’ve been reading a lot about the topic lately and fat in moderation can actually help a diet.

    15
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    Mute Gizmo mac
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    Apr 16th 2014, 11:58 AM

    Ugh why do you tell us to guess when you always tell us the answer? That’s no Craic!

    27
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    Mute Dave Byrne
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    Apr 16th 2014, 1:09 PM

    Know a lad living in Germany and he told me that it is cheaper to buy Kerry gold there, Than it is back home.

    27
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    Mute Hiddiho
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    Apr 16th 2014, 4:02 PM

    My kids kept asking for toast anytime we were in a relatives house and kept saying it was the nicest toast ever and wanted to go over all the time . I thought it was cause she done toast on the grill but nope after a couple of weeks of the kids been savages I discovered it’s because she uses real butter :-) so we always buy Kerry gold now :-) and mash is much nicer with real butter .

    26
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    Mute Donal O Neil
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    Apr 16th 2014, 3:43 PM

    In Kuwait you can get it on and off in LULU’s along with dubliner cheese oh melted on a bit of bread and a Barry’s tea and your away .

    26
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    Mute Rory J Leonard
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    Apr 16th 2014, 4:55 PM

    Exact same fare, including Kerrygold Butter, always available in LULU supermarkets in Doha, Qatar.

    Representatives from that company recently on trade mission to Ireland, so expect a greater variety of Irish food items in their stores throughout Middle East and India.

    Us Irish folk should never loose an opportunity on our travels to try and open a door for Irish produced goods and services into an overseas market.

    To speed up recovery from major economic mess at home, as a Nation we must up our game as salesmen and saleswoman in developing new export markets for our goods and services. Besides the high profile brands, Tayto, Barry’s Tea, Kerrygold, et al, opportunities abound for other Irish Goods in ME markets. eg niche luxury chocolate products, non alcoholic drinks, cheeses, white eggs (don’t ask!) beef, lamb, chicken, and spring water.

    I’m sure Bord Bia are on the case!

    22
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    Mute Nigel Sinnott
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    Apr 16th 2014, 12:58 PM

    Seen kerrygold in at tescos in Slovakia last year, costs €10 per pound.

    25
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    Mute Richard O'Rourke
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    Apr 16th 2014, 3:03 PM

    You can even buy it over here in Oklahoma. One of the little things that remind me of home!

    17
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    Mute Declan Noonan
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    Apr 16th 2014, 3:34 PM

    I can buy it in my local store in Burlington Vermont.
    I was in Utah last week and was able to get kerrygold cheese.
    It was nice with some crackers.

    14
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    Mute Peter Scargill
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    Apr 16th 2014, 6:23 PM

    It’s true. I live in Germany and everyone over here LOVES Kerry gold. It’s not more expensive than the others either

    13
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    Mute John McDonnell
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    Apr 16th 2014, 5:01 PM

    I just bought some last night in Northern California. Far better than most of the stuff produced locally.

    11
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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Apr 16th 2014, 2:03 PM

    The story of this success goes back to the ’60s, Sir Anthony O’Reilly apparently:
    http://www.independent.ie/business/farming/golden-age-when-irish-buttered-up-the-world-26733509.html

    11
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    Mute Cyril Mc Donnell
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    Apr 16th 2014, 6:54 PM

    kerrygold cheese is hugh on the island of crete the greeks eat more cheese per capita than any other european country

    9
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    Mute Mr.Phil.Officer
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    Apr 16th 2014, 1:56 PM

    I remember reading or hearing somewhere that someone even found some in a corner shop in China.

    7
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    Mute Peter Sweeney
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    Apr 16th 2014, 1:06 PM

    Jesus, talk about milking the cash cow…..

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    Mute Christine Downey
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    Apr 16th 2014, 1:29 PM

    Where can you get it in Venice?

    6
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    Mute Pierce2020
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    Apr 16th 2014, 1:59 PM

    Try a shop of some kind

    26
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    Mute Àine Moran
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    Jun 20th 2014, 8:10 AM

    Kerrygold the best in the world that’s why it has gold in the name

    1
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